23rd
May
2008
Ponderings For 2008-05-23
- Surprising praise goes to Sony Home Entertainment for their DVD release this week of Square Pegs. As a vaguely remembered show from the early 80’s (one of the first to have that TRUE 80’s feel), it’s one of those surprises to see get a DVD release. I remember seeing a handful of episodes at some point many years ago and liking it. I just picked up a copy of the set today, which lists one basic special feature, “Weemawee Yearbook Memories (Interviews with the Cast and Crew).” In the age of everything having basic special features, I figured this was some brief, fluffy, basic set of interview clips. I was shocked to discover that these are some extensive interviews with all the cast. And they’re great, nostalgic interviews. There’s gotta be at least an hour and a half of them in total, spread across the three discs. Even Sarah Jessica Parker has a solid 15 minutes of interview, fondly remembering her experience shooting the series. The interviews reminded me of the wonderful interviews found on the (new version) My So-Called Life DVD set. Except these memories of shooting Square Pegs are twice as old as having shot My So-Called Life. Frankly, I always like interviews and commentaries from somewhat aged productions, because the people involved feel a little bit more free to give their real memories and opinions when they have distanced themselves from the experience (and all the PR blitz that goes with it). And also, Sony did a bang up job on the quality of the episode transfers in this release. This series has never looked this good - surely not when it originally aired. And the running times make it quite clear that these are the original aired cuts, not some butchered syndicated edits. Then again, watching these discs makes me all the more annoyed that Sony is STILL sitting on Parker Lewis Can’t Lose, which is currently my #1 most desired TV on DVD release. The Square Pegs set may not be a staggering special edition mega-production, but it’s got the kind of quality that would thrill me to see given to Parker Lewis. Please, Sony? PRETTY PLEASE?
- Incidentally, I guess this is an evening for me to slip into totally 80’s mode. As I sit here typing about Square Pegs, a show from 1982-1983, I have playing the brand new CD release of Bruce Broughton’s score to 1984’s “Ice Pirates” which was waiting for me in my mailbox when I got home.
- GASP! What’s this? The Pushing Daisies season 1 release is not only going to be on DVD, but on Blu-Ray as well? And at a reasonable price, no less? Woo hoo!
- Gosh, it’s amazing the level of quality that exists on visual effects animatics these days, and for TV no less. Then again, this is Battlestar we’re talking about - a show with better visual effects than most any feature film.
- An amusing combination of stories
- Here’s a phrase I would have never anticipated myself uttering: That’s one awesome table
- Fun Rubik’s Cube ads
- Would you pick up this hitchhiker? Indeed…
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